This invention relates generally to recreational vehicles and relates, more particularly, to the means and methods facilitating the dumping of recreational vehicle holding tanks containing sanitary sewage and/or gray water waste into a public sewer system.
Recreational vehicles, such as motor homes and travel camper units, are often equipped with holding tanks for waste and waste water and a sanitary sewer system enabling the holding tanks to be drained into a public sewer. For purposes of draining the holding tanks, the sanitary sewer system of the recreational vehicle can be connected (and, if desired, remain connected) by way of suitable hoses to the public sewer system. However, in order for the recreational vehicle to be moved from place to place, the sanitary sewer system must be disconnected from the public sewer and capped to prevent spillage of waste that may linger within the pipes of the system.
Commonly, the sanitary sewer system of the recreational vehicle is equipped with a discharge pipe having an outlet end through which the contents of the holding tanks are drained, and this outlet end is normally capped with an end cap and an attending sealing gasket. When it becomes necessary to dump the contents of the holding tanks or it becomes desirable to reconnect the outlet end to a public sewer, the end cap is removed, and a coupling accessory is connected to the outlet end for hook-up to a hose which leads to the public sewer. In some instances, such a hose is equipped with a suitable coupling accessory and the opposite end of the hose is insertable into an opening in the public sewer for drainage.
The removal of the end cap from the outlet end of the discharge pipe for connection to a hose and/or hose coupling accessory and the disconnection of the hose and/or hose coupling accessory from the discharge pipe commonly involves spillage of sewage waste or waste water from the sanitary sewer system. In particular, the sewage waste or waste water which is likely to spill from the sanitary sewer system is comprised of sewage waste or waste water which lingers within the piping of the sanitary sewer system during a tank-draining operation or seeps through worn valves associated with the holding tanks. Consequently, when the end cap or the hose and/or hose coupling accessory is removed (normally with the hands) from the outlet end of the discharge pipe, it is common for the unsanitary spillage to come into contact with the hands or fall onto the ground. It would be desirable to provide a means for preventing damage or harm which could result from spillage of the sewage waste or waste water during the connection or disconnection between the discharge pipe and a hose and/or hose coupling accessory.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved means for eliminating the spillage of waste or waste water when removing the cap from the outlet end of the discharge pipe for connection to a hose and/or hose coupling accessory or when disconnecting the hose and/or hose coupling accessory from the discharge pipe.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a means which is easily and conveniently attached to the sewer pipe system of a recreational vehicle.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a means which is uncomplicated in structure yet effective in operation.